How much movement to get to top of cliff

[Java Man]

My search fu is failing me, help me oh glorious ones!

If a character wants to climb up a cliff of X height and end up standing on the top of the cliff (which would be adjacent to his starting position when viewed from above on a 2D map) does it require X or X+5 feet of movement?

[Pink Dragon]

Nothing in the CRB explains the situation clearly but I have always ruled that the if a cliff is 30 feet high and the character has a 30 foot movement rate it takes 4 move actions to get to and stand at the top of the cliff (or 2 move actions if fast climbing).

I rationalize this by saying it takes 25 feet of climbing to get the character's hands on the top of the cliff and then another 5 feet to climb over the edge to stand on the top of the cliff.

[Brother Fen]

30' of movement should get you to the top of the cliff. With climbing rules you move either quarter speed or half speed depending on the success of the roll. You should have to spend that extra 5' to move into the square at the top - be it part of a full movement or a five foot step.

[Pink Dragon]

Brother Fen wrote:

30' of movement should get you to the top of the cliff. With climbing rules you move either quarter speed or half speed depending on the success of the roll. You should have to spend that extra 5' to move into the square at the top - be it part of a full movement or a five foot step.

I can see why someone would come to this conclusion, but it would imply that the 30th foot (6th square) of movement is standing in empty space next to the cliff top before moving the 35th foot (7th square) to stand on the cliff. I think of the movement between the 25th foot (5th square) and the 30th foot (6th square) as being up on the diagonal as the person climbs the last 5 feet (1 square) over the top of the cliff.

[Meirril]

A medium sized creature that starts in the standing position should reach the top of a 30' cliff after moving 25' up. After all, they can reach past that first 5' of the cliff and they aren't going to squat before they start climbing.

That said, when they move to the top shouldn't they be prone? Hands are still being used to support the body while they scramble from the cliff to the ledge at the top? I can't see them depending on only foot holds in the last 5' of the climb!

[Pink Dragon]

Prone is being flat out on the ground and requires an entire move action to stand. At the top of the cliff, the person is not prone and doesn't need to crawl over the top belly down. I assume the climbing skill permits a person to top a cliff without rendering himself prone.

[Pink Dragon]

And I can see them using footholds for the last few feat to propel them upward. That is what climbing is all about.

[Brother Fen]

Pink Dragon wrote:

Brother Fen wrote:

30' of movement should get you to the top of the cliff. With climbing rules you move either quarter speed or half speed depending on the success of the roll. You should have to spend that extra 5' to move into the square at the top - be it part of a full movement or a five foot step.

I can see why someone would come to this conclusion, but it would imply that the 30th foot (6th square) of movement is standing in empty space next to the cliff top before moving the 35th foot (7th square) to stand on the cliff. I think of the movement between the 25th foot (5th square) and the 30th foot (6th square) as being up on the diagonal as the person climbs the last 5 feet (1 square) over the top of the cliff.

I'm sure there's some table variance. I can certainly see it both ways.

[blahpers]

This iteration of the "how far am I climbing" thread is exceedingly well formulated. My compliments, Java Man. : )

If your desired position is displaced by a single grid square on the horizontal plane, then I wouldn't worry too much about it--it's the first diagonal of the move, and the first diagonal is 5' even if it really isn't. (While you normally can't move 5 feet through a corner, climbing is a bit special--you never really occupy the "floating" position, so the only logical conclusion is that you do, in fact, move across the corner.) If you're working on an odd slope or something, use your best judgment.

[AlastarOG]

I'd rule it that that last 5 feet is an opportunity choice:

You either need:

An extra 5 ft. Of move
OR
Succeed on your climb check by 5 or more to finish at the top standing (via awesome Tom cruisesque clinbingmancy)
OR
Get to the end, scramble on top, beginning of next round you're prone.

But that's me as an experienced DM, that's not RAW.